Teacher sheet · Ages 10–11 · about 45–50 minutes
Stuck plates and seismic waves
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/earthquakes/ages-10-11/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/earthquakes/ages-10-11/print/
Learning aims
- Explain earthquakes as sudden slip on faults where plates stick.
- Use the words fault, hypocentre, epicentre, aftershock and magnitude.
- Compare how often small and large earthquakes happen.
- Carry out a fair test with a stick-slip model.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: rub your hands together slowly while pressing hard; feel them stick and jump. |
| 10 min | Read the text; mark plate boundaries and Roermond on a map. |
| 20 min | Stick-slip model (fair test). |
| 5 min | Play Plates apart, together or sliding? |
| 5 min | Quiz and Drop, Cover, Hold on practice. |
Materials for the experiment
- A heavy book or a wooden block
- A strong rubber band
- A ruler (30 cm)
- Sandpaper and smooth paper, taped to the table
- Sticky tape
Safety: Pull slowly and keep faces away from the stretched rubber band in case it snaps; wear safety glasses. Keep the book on the table.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| Magnitude 6 is just a little bigger than magnitude 5. | Each step is about 32 times more energy. |
| Earthquakes never happen near Belgium. | Smaller earthquakes do happen in our region, such as Roermond in 1992 (ML 5.8). |
| Scientists can predict earthquakes. | They can only give the chance of an earthquake in an area over a number of years. |
Worksheet answers
- Two blocks along a fault line, shifted after the earthquake; hypocentre marked underground on the fault; epicentre on the surface directly above.
- Usually the sandpaper: the rough surface sticks more, so more energy is stored before the sudden slip.
- About 120.
- No scientist has ever predicted a major earthquake (date, place and size); they can only calculate the chance of one in an area over a number of years.
Quiz answers
- Where do most earthquakes happen? At plate boundaries. Most earthquakes happen where plates meet.[1]
- What is the epicentre? The point on the surface above where the rupture starts. The epicentre is directly above the hypocentre.[1]
- About how much more energy does a magnitude 6 earthquake release than a magnitude 5? About 32 times. Each whole step is about 32 times more energy.[2]
- Which happen more often each year? Magnitude 5 earthquakes. About 800 magnitude-5 earthquakes against about 1 of magnitude 8.[4]
- Why does energy build up on a fault? The rough edges stick while the plates keep moving. Stuck edges store energy until the fault slips.[1]
- Can scientists predict exactly when an earthquake will happen? No, only the chance over a number of years. Major earthquakes have never been predicted.[7]
Going further
Look at a live map of recent earthquakes from a geological survey with the class. How many happened in the last day? Where are most of them? Compare with a map of plate boundaries.
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] The Science of Earthquakes (USGS Earthquake Hazards Program): reliability High
- [2] Earthquake Magnitude, Energy Release, and Shaking Intensity (USGS Earthquake Hazards Program): reliability High
- [3] This Dynamic Earth: Understanding plate motions (US Geological Survey (USGS)): reliability High
- [4] Are earthquakes becoming more frequent? (Earthquake FAQ) (British Geological Survey (BGS)): reliability High
- [7] Can you predict earthquakes? (US Geological Survey (USGS)): reliability High
- [8] Preparing for Earthquakes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)): reliability High
- [9] Roermond (NL), 13 April 1992 (Earthquakes in Belgium catalogue) (Royal Observatory of Belgium, Seismology): reliability High
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/earthquakes/sources/
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